♦ 5 – 12 August 2016

The maternity experience in New Zealand results in a 26.2% caesarean section rate for women and their babies, with over half performed as labour emergencies (MoH, 2015). This is the same as England’s rate (NCT, 2015) but, internationally, caesarean rates range from 32% in Australia (AIHW, 2014), 32.2% in the US (Childbirth Connection, 2014), and 50% in China (Hellerstein et al, 2014), to itemise a few countries.

The World Health Organisation continues to assert that a rate of >15% is overuse of caesarean. It estimates 6.20 million unnecessary sections were performed globally in 2008 (WHO, 2010).

Though birthing vaginally is a “reasonable and safe choice for the majority of women with prior caesarean” (Guise et al, 2010), VBAC rates remain low.

Aims of the workshop

This workshop aims to assist the midwife in developing or enhancing evidence-informed positioning on issues relating to vaginal birth after caesarean, and offer opportunity to reflect on VBAC and network with midwives outside the local area.

How is the workshop run?

This week-long fully online workshop is run on Birthspirit Moodle. It is taught using videoed lectures, a live classroom, slides, movie clips, posted readings and discussion forums. (You can test your basic computer system requirements and internet speed here to make sure you can successfully participate in live classrooms before you register. A headset is essential to participating orally in the classrooms, video camera is optional.)

Course material is available online at 5pm Friday, 5 August 2016.

It is expected that participants will set their own learning timetables ensuring they have engaged with the videoed lectures, movie clips, readings and discussion forums prior to the 1 hour live classroom on Thursday, 11 August 2016.

The live classroom is at 9.00am and repeated at 3.00pm (NZST). (You can check a world clock here as to which time – 9.00am OR 3.00pm – is best for you to attend). If participants are unable to attend the live session a recording of this will be available for viewing the following day but energetic connecting with each other in real time can be a powerful accelerant to our learning and understanding, so participants are encouraged to attend these at scheduled times. The rest of the workshop is with everybody together in one group.

The course material remains available to participants for a further week beyond the Workshop.

What’s it like to participate in this online education?

Previous participants  say:

• Found this an enjoyable way to focus thought on [the course]. Could dip in and out of resources and information.
• The readings were great, the discussion forum was great. It was awesome being able to engage with this material in a more focused way, and to reread the evidence:)
• This was my first online workshop eva & once I got the jist of it, I really enjoyed it! I found it very well presented in a logical format that was easy to access…Being able to study from home, when it suited me [was valuable]. Being able to log in & out of the workshop & review course material several times over if I needed with reference to readings & the video clips. I found Tony’s technical support vry helpful!
• “Face to face” I learn best from listening and love the fact that technology allows us to have live classroom from our own home. Great to hear from midwives from around the globe.
• Great presentation, I did a similar course through [another organisation], Birthspirit Moodle has a really good variety of delivery methods of course content compared to the [polytech/university]. The live classroom is fantastic

Facilitator

Dr Maggie Banks (PhD, RM, RGON) has worked in a variety of practice settings, first as a nurse (from 1972) primarily in women’s health and neonatal intensive care, then as midwife (from 1987). A self-employed midwife in home birth practice since 1989, Maggie combined the role of midwifery educator with practice from 1998-2014. She has regularly taught throughout Australasia, as well as having been a guest speaker at conferences held in the Australia, US and Canada. Maggie is the author of Breech Birth Woman-Wise and Home Birth Bound: Mending the Broken Weave.

Cost NZ$75.00

Register for the Workshop now.

Recertification programme/Continuing education

This Workshop is approved by the Midwifery Council of New Zealand as elective education and has been allocated 5 elective education points.

Continuing education for other than New Zealand midwives: 5.8 hours minimum.

Full attendance Attendance Certificates will be awarded to those who fulfill the Attendance Certificate criteria requirements.